


Tuko Pamoja

by ThatBohoFemme



Series: The Language of Love [15]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Astral Projection, Changing Relationships, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Making it through, No Spoilers, Post Superstar Shake Up, Romantic Soulmates, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 10:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18569482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatBohoFemme/pseuds/ThatBohoFemme
Summary: Aleister can't sleep.He's so used to having Dream right there that it feels strange to be alone. He knows he'll be back tomorrow but that doesn't help tonight.Aleister tosses and turns, hoping the pillow draped in Dream's shirt will serve as an adequate substitute. If nothing else, it smells sweetly of imported laundry soap and french cologne, reminding Aleister of his partner.Yet, this still doesn't help him to sleep.





	Tuko Pamoja

__**Tuko pamoja  
** noun  
Lit. 'one place'; ‘we are together’, community togetherness.(Swahili) 

Aleister can't sleep. 

He's so used to having Dream right there that it feels strange to be alone. He knows he'll be back tomorrow but that doesn't help tonight. 

Aleister tosses and turns, hoping the pillow draped in Dream's shirt will serve as an adequate substitute. If nothing else, it smells sweetly of imported laundry soap and french cologne, reminding Aleister of his partner.

Yet, this still doesn't help him to sleep. 

Aleister grumbles, jamming a folded pillow between his ear and shoulder. He stares at the shirt, reaching over to rub the fabric between his thumb and forefinger. He's got no clue what the shirt's made of but it even feels expensive. 

Maybe that's why Dream had fussed so much when Aleister asked for his shirt? 

_Only Dream_. Aleister thinks with a wry smirk. 

Their bond is odd. Most people don't have the luxury of turning their bond on and off. These 'normal' people go through life with a vague sense of their soulmate's every emotion. Aleister imagines it as a frenetic cacophony. He'd tried asking Johnny once- they'd been on speaking terms at that point- what his 'traditional' bond felt like. 

_What's it like?_

_The bond?_

_Yes. How?_

_You feel the ghost of their every emotion. It's always there but you learn to ignore it. I only really tune in when something's off. I knew about Tomasso's injury before he did._

_It never goes away?_

_No, which is good. If the ghost goes away...  
_

He hadn't needed to finish the sentence for Aleister to understand what he meant. 

No, his bond with Dream was _different_. Dream could shut the bond off as he saw fit. He tried not to- cognizant of the fact it worried Aleister. 

Lately, that hadn’t been the case. 

Dream kept the bond off until he absolutely had to turn it on. Aleister didn’t understand and Dream wasn’t willing to talk. 

Closing his eyes, Aleister realizes he feels nothing. Dream’s got it off. 

If Aleister wants to check in, he’ll need to use the phone. 

Picking up his phone, he scrolls through the contacts and taps on his partner’s name. He’s so used to the bond that it feels weird communicating through conventional means. 

The phone rings once, twice and finally, a third time. It cuts right to voicemail. Wherever Dream might be, he’s got his phone off. 

“Come on.” Aleister pushes out of bed. He’s got no reason to panic, especially considering the fact it’s almost 2 in the morning. It makes just as much sense to consider Dream’s asleep. 

Aleister digs through his carry-on bag, searching for the black velvet pouch. He keeps it around for situations just like this. It’s got to be there...

When Aleister insisted on enchanting the pair of crystal pendants, Dream laughed, swearing it was an unnecessary step. They had the bond- why did they need an additional monitoring feature? 

_I might be overly cautious but if there's an emergency and the bond is off, I would like an extra way to know you are not in mortal peril._

_If you insist..._

Aleister pulls the pouch out, breathing a sigh of relief. Undoing the string, he reaches in, pulling out the pendant. He relaxes, turning the clear crystal over and over in his hand. Were it an actual emergency, the crystal would be solid black. 

He's asleep. He's had a rough day and doesn't want to burden Aleister. He just needs alone time. 

There are dozens of perfectly logical reasons that Dream's offline. Aleister doesn't need to panic. 

The general consensus is that one knows when they meet their soulmate. For one thing, the bond goes on and doesn't go off.

They're one of a rare few who can turn their bond off. 

_Patrick, if you're okay, I will kick your ass._ Aleister has one other option for communication. He _hates_ astral projection- it always takes so much out of him. As of now, it's his only option. 

He knows he'll never be able to sleep as long as Dream's unaccounted for. 

He finds a candle conveniently kept in his suitcase for moments like this. He pulls out a box of matches and strikes a single match to light the candle. If he isn't gone too long, he can get the candle blown out before the hotel notices. 

Aleister leans back on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. Closing his eyes, he visualizes the layout of their house. The more he focuses, the clearer the image becomes. 

Before too long, Aleister feels himself speeding through a vast, black void. He knows he'll be feeling this in the morning. He _hates_ doing this, especially when it involves him traveling long distances. It's strange. It's disorienting. 

After a few moments, he lands in their living room. He braces himself against an armchair, waiting for the room to stop spinning. 

He takes a cautious step, testing the ground beneath his feet. It feels solid- a fact that never fails to amaze him. He can walk through walls- should he choose- and yet, he doesn't sink into the floor. 

He knows he'll never get used to that fact. 

He finds Dream dozing on the couch in the office. Totty and Tubby curl around him, doing their best to 'protect' their human. Their purrs are loud and content. Aleister squats in front of the couch and cautiously runs a finger against the short hairs between Tubby's ears. 

He's never tried astral projection around the cats so his curiosity bests him. 

The cat raises his head, opens his eyes just a crack and lets out a slow, sleepy meow as if to say _Gee, Dad, I know you shouldn't be here so could you leave me alone and let me sleep?_

Aleister gently shakes Dream by the shoulder. It's the strangest feeling. Dream's warm and solid- but it takes actual effort to avoid his hand sinking through his skin. 

_Concentrate._ Aleister focuses harder, ignoring the ache coursing through his body. He's got this. He'll be sore tomorrow but it's all worth it. He hadn't had the chance to practice this short of traveling small distances for a short period. So far, everything seems to be working.

"Are you a ghost?" Dream slowly opens his eyes, staring straight at Aleister. "I should be terrified but _nothing_ surprises me when it comes to you." 

Aleister resists the urge to laugh at his partner's reaction. He's here because he couldn't get a hold of him any other way. This is _not_ a pleasant visit. "No, not dead. _Someone's closed the bond and refuses to answer their phone_." 

"Oh." Dream sits up, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Guess the battery died." As their eyes connect, Aleister sees the faint traces of vulnerability. Then, the look clears, hardening into the defiant stare Aleister knows so well. "Sorry. Didn't want to be a burden in your new life." 

_New life_? That makes no sense to Aleister. Nothing in their world had changed.

"Patrick." Aleister's gaze softens as he realizes what his partner actually means. "My Dear Heart." He gently caresses Dream's cheek with the underside of the finger.

"Your hands are so cold," Dream says, pulling back. After a second, he leans in again, allowing Aleister's hand to linger. 

"Well, I'm not really here." Aleister exhales, realizing he misses Dream as much as Dream misses him. "I"m here but I'm not." 

"What about us?" Dream looks pained as he speaks. "We... can survive this?" 

Aleister, knowing Dream is prone to dramatics, lets the question linger in the air. They've gone from being practically joined at the hip to learning how to function on two different schedules in two different places. They've barely had any time together over the last month. 

Aleister can't fault him for being down. 

"Don't think we have much choice." Aleister softly laughs. "Bond dissolution is a painful, potentially fatal procedure." 

He's never understood why the universe saw fit to pair him with this eccentric man. There's any number of people that Aleister might consider to be a 'better' match. 

Yet, he's never been one to question the universe and its plan. He embraces Dream and grows to love him. He finds Dream endearing. 

"Sorry for freaking you out," Dream apologizes. His words catch Aleister off guard. In all their time together, Dream's never once apologized for anything. Instead, he'll do little things to tell him he's sorry for the little arguments they get into. 

This separation must really have him shook. 

"You're fine, Heart." The strange pet name slips out as naturally as anything else. He knows the nickname irritates his partner but Aleister's okay with that. He needs Dream to focus on him. "You're not losing me." 

Aleister blows out a breath as he runs his hand down Dream's cheek. Their eyes meet, allowing Aleister to see the peace replacing the worried haze. Dream's coming back to him. "I would love to stay but I need to get back to my body." 

"Go be safe." Dream blinks, his eyes damp and misty. "Thank you for the visit." 

Aleister cradles Dream's face between his hands. He leans in, giving his partner a single sweet kiss. "I love you." 

"Love you too." 

Aleister steps back, squeezing his eyes shut. He allows everything to fade to black.  
\---  
Aleister wakes to rays of sunshine crossing his face. As he struggles to his feet, he lets out a pained hiss. _Everything_ hurts. 

Maybe his visit to Dream hadn't just been a fantasy. 

"I have..." Aleister doesn't know what to think. He would love to believe he had actually accomplished long distance astral projection but...

He'd failed every other attempt at it. 

His phone buzzes, pulling him out of his thoughts. He stops, trying to remember where he left his phone. Then, he glances up, staring at the ceiling as he checks to see if Dream has the bond on. 

He relaxes, as Dream's peaceful contentment comes over him. 

Aleister finds his phone hidden under a pile of t-shirts. He pulls it out, curious to see who might be texting at this ungodly hour. 

_Thanks for the visit. Did The Dream a world of good. See you tonight. Love you._

Aleister shakes his head, setting his phone aside and dropping the t-shirts into his suitcase. The astral projection _had_ been real. 

With a new talent to add to his resume and a strong desire to get home, he gets ready to set about his day. 

His partner needs him. 

-fin-


End file.
